Spaghetti & Meatballs

This recipe was on the cover of Gourmet Magazine, 2009. It is by far the best recipe for Spaghetti and meatballs I have ever had. The addition of lemon zest is amazing. I halved the recipe and we ate it 5 nights in a row. Believe it or not we did not tire of it and yearned for more.

• Ready In: 5 hrs
• Serves: 12-16

Ingredients

• For tomato sauce

• 6 (28 ounce) cans  whole tomatoes with juice
• 2  medium onions, chopped
• 1⁄2 cup extra virgin olive oil
• 6  garlic cloves, finely chopped

• For meatballs

• 2  medium onions, finely chopped
• 1⁄4 cup extra virgin olive oil
• 10  garlic cloves, finely chopped
• 3  cups  torn day-old  Italian bread
• 3  cups  whole milk
• 6  large eggs
• 2  cups  grated parmigiano-reggiano cheese (1/4 pound)
• 1⁄3 cup  finely chopped flat leaf parsley
• 1⁄4 cup  finely chopped oregano or 1  teaspoon dried oregano, crumbled
• 1  tablespoon  grated lemon zest
• 1 1⁄2 lbs  ground veal
• 1 1⁄2 lbs ground pork
• 1 1⁄2 lbs ground beef (not lean)
• 1  cup olive oil or 1  cup  vegetable oil

• For pasta

• 2  lbs  dried spaghetti

• Accompaniment

•  grated parmigiano-reggiano cheese

Directions

1. Make sauce:
2. Drain tomatoes, reserving juice in a large bowl. Crush tomatoes with your hands and add to juice.
3. Cook onions in oil in pot over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until softened, about 10 minutes. Add garlic and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened, about 2 minutes. Stir in tomatoes with their juice, 4 teaspoon salt, and 1 teaspoon pepper. Simmer sauce, uncovered, stirring occasionally, until slightly thickened, 45 minutes to 1 hour. Season with salt.
4. Make meatballs while sauce simmers:
5. Cook onions in extra-virgin olive oil in a 12-inch heavy skillet over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until softened, about 10 minutes. Add garlic and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened, about 3 minutes. Transfer to a large bowl to cool.
6. Soak bread in milk in another bowl until soft, about 5 minutes. Firmly squeeze bread to remove excess milk, discarding milk.
7. Stir together cooled onion mixture, bread, eggs, parmesan, parsley, oregano, lemon zest, 51/2 teaspoon salt, and 1 1/2 teaspoon pepper until combined. Add meats to bread mixture, gently mixing with your hands until just combined (do not overmix).
8. Form meat mixture into about 70 (1 1/2-inch) balls with dampened hands, arranging meatballs on 2 large baking sheets or in shallow baking pans.
9. Heat olive or vegetable oil (1 cup) in a 12-inch heavy skillet (preferably nonstick) over medium-high heat until hot but not smoking, then brown meatballs in 4 or 5 batches (without crowding), turning frequently, about 5 minutes per batch. Return to baking sheets.
10. Add meatballs to sauce and gently simmer, covered, stirring occasionally, until cooked through, 20 to 30 minutes. (If pot is not large enough, divide meatballs and sauce between 2 pots.).
11. Prepare pasta:
12. Cook spaghetti in 2 batches in pasta insert in boiling salted water (3 tablespoon salt for 6 qt water) until just al dente, draining and tossing each batch with some of sauce in a large serving dish.
13. Serve with meatballs, remaining sauce, and grated cheese.
14. Cooks' notes: •Meatballs can be made and simmered in sauce 5 days ahead and chilled (covered once cool).
15. •Meatballs with sauce can be frozen in an airtight container or heavy-duty sealable bags up to 3 months.